Semiautomatic photographic cabinet



OCII. 10, 1933. J MEYER ET AL 1,929,508

SEMIAUTOMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC CABINET Filed July 28, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1B- MMW mg ,7 m m N VfiL m m T T X Ms A m HE v 7 MM/ 'JC v. Q5 B Q m\ m Tr Wm u 4 Q -Oct.v10, 1933. v J MEYER ET AL 1,929,508

SEMIAUTQMATIC PHOTOGRAPHIC CABINET Filed July 28, 1932 2 Shoots-Sheet 2INVENTORS. JOSEPH MEYER, A y CHARLES FLEIscHEe.

A TTORNEY Patented a. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT err-ice 1,929,508SEMIAUTOMATIO rno'roeaarm o can rs IhT Joseph Meyer and CharlesFleischer, Brooklyn, N. Y.

' Application July 28, 1932. Serial No. 625,282

2 Claims. (01. 95- -92) moved from place to place, the unit beingarranged to accommodate a person at one end thereof and to allow thedevelopment of pictures by a worker or operator at the same time withinthe unit and .unseen by those appearing before the photographicrecording apparatus.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a portable unithaving a work space within the unit so arranged that it does notinterfere with automatic photographic apparatus operative responsive tocoin control.

Another feature comprises the arrangement of separate compartments,forming parts of an integral unit structure arranged so that personsusing any of the compartments may be unaware that the other compartmentis being used.

A furtherobject resides in the provision of a work cabinet forming partof a portable unit used for photographing persons, responsive to coinoperation, an operator being able to enter and leave one end of the unitwithout disturbing persons being photographed and without exposing filmthat has already been ejected from the photographic apparatus but whichhas not yet been developed.

Still another feature resides in the arrangement of signal means incombination with a portable cabinet used for photographing personsresponsive tocoin operation, the signal means indicating, at definitetime intervals, when the person to be photographed should assumedifferent poses or positions.

Another feature enables an operator to be coniined within a portablecabinet used for photographing persons, responsive to coin operation, aventilating arrangement being provided enabling the operator to work insafety and comfort and yet without exposing the film to artificial ornatural light on the outside of the cabinet.

Still another feature resides in the arrangement of a work space withina portable cabinet having an entrance door at one end thereof, out ofview of persons using the cabinet for taking pictures responsive to coinactuated mechanism.

Further features providing simplicity in structure and making forefficiency, as well as for economy in the operation of photographicapparatus in unit form adapted for coin operation will be more apparentfrom the following description to be read in connection with theaccompanying drawings showing a unit incorporating the inventlon, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a portable cabinet incorporating the invention,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the cabinet shown in Fig. 1 illustratingthe interior layout, I

Fig. 4 is a detail view, in section, of the ventilating arrangement,

Fig. 5 is a. fragmentary perspective view, partly broken away, showingthe interior arrangement of the cabinet and the arrangement ofcompartments, and

Fig. 6 is schematic of the signal arrangement employed.

Considering the drawings, similar designations referring to similarparts, numeral 7 designates a portable cabinet having a photographing orpicture recording compartment 8 and a workshop compartment 9 separatedtherefrom by partition 10. The picture recording compartment is open atboth sides, as illustrated, so that a person may easily enter at one endof the cabinet, seat himself on stool 11, and after assuming a sodesired pose by reference to mirrors'12, deposit a coin within slot 13,whereupon the camera apparatus 14 will automatically commence thephotographing of the person in oneor more positions. The means employedfor advancing the 35 film, as well as the shutter arrangement forsnapping pictures,'form no part of this application, andare merelyillustrated to show their general arrangement in the structuralcomposition and arrangement of the cabinet. Lights 15, as well as alighting apparatus 16 for illuminating in an upwardly direction, areprovided in the positions shown on the drawings, the apparatus 16preferably comprising a container whose upper surface 1'7 is of groundglass, so that the light reflected through will not be glaring incharacter and will be thrown at an angle to the perpendicular in linewith the face of a person seated on the stool back of partition 10. Aguard 18, of suitable design, may be mounted above the ground glasssurface. v I

The workshop compartment 9 may be entered through damper 19, preferablyat the rear of the cabinet. The compartment, in effect, is completelysegregated from the forward photographing or picture recordingcompartment and a person seated before the camera apparatus is absolutely unaware that anyone is in the rear workshop compartment, or thatthe apparatus is not wholly automatic. The arrangement of the twocompartments in the one cabinet allows a worker to tend the frontcabinet and receive customers and also enter the cabinet from the rearthrough the rear door 19 to carry out developing work and finishingoperations. In practice, the pictures are snapped automatically, usuallyin six or eight diiferent poses, the photographing apparatus operatingautomatically, responsive to the insertion of a coin within slot 13. Thephotographic apparatus is actuated in combination with a make-and-breakdevice 20 which makes one revolution during the interval required foreach pose. Between poses, the make-and-break device will close acircuit, as shown in Fig. 6, causing bell 21 to be actuated and signalthe subject being photographed so that the pose may be changed beforethe photographing apparatus is ready to snap the next picture. After therequired number of pictures are snapped, the machine will automaticallycut off and the used film expelled from the apparatus and fall within afilm strip receptacle 22. The circuit arrangement shown in Fig. 6,including transformer 23, is believed self-explanatory.

The film strip receptacle, as shown in the drawings, is so arranged thatupon the opening of door 19, the film will be protected from exposure toany light which may enter the cabinet. The front of the receptacle whichfaces the door is solid, the opening through which film may be removedfacing the side of the cabinet. Full protection against exposure is thusafforded and an operator may enter and leave the cabinet at will, evenafter one or more film strips have been ejected from the photographingapparatus and lie within the receptacle.

The interior of the workshop compartment may have a number of shelves 24arranged to support solution and water trays, as well as other apparatusrequired for developing and finishing pictures. This compartment mayalso be provided in part with ,a raised floor 25, integral with thesides of the unit. The photographing apparatus 26 may be suitablyfastened within the workshop compartment in the upper portion thereofdirectly behind partition 10. It may, therefore, be reached from withinthe workshop for inspection and repair and the film strip receptacle maybe placed beneath it, so that after each photographing operation, theused film may automatically be cut and discharged within the receptacle,so that the worker may very easily reach it for finishing. Thisarrangement of photographing apparatus in a workshop cabinet which ispart of the unit structure aifords access to the recording and automaticmechanism, not possible in a fully automatic machine which is completelysealed and, therefore,- rendered useless in the event of breakdown inany part of the machine, no matter how non-essential. Withapplicantsarrangement, not only is much of the expensive automaticapparatus eliminated, but even the recording apparatus, if necessary,may be operated from within the cabinet, so that the machine may be inservice at all times.

In order to enable a worker to carry on the developing and finishingoperations in comfort within the workshop compartment, a specialventilating arrangement is provided, as more particularly shown in Figs.4 and 5. The top surface 27 is broken away to provide an aperture 28,

through which air may enter. The raised roof 29 also has an aperture 30through which air may enter. Baffle 31, however, between the top surfaceand the raised roof, effectively prevents any light filtering into thecabinet and bars out light entering through aperture 30. Baffle 31 maybe supported within the raised roof in any conventional manner. Theventilating arrangement is, therefore, simple in structure, suppliesample air circulation, and yet effectively preserves the dark roomcharacter of the workshop compartment. Electrical connection 32 suppliesthe current for the photographic apparatus, as well as for illumination,in approved manner, within the dark room. The unit may be placed on asupporting platform and wheeled about, or it may be physically movedfrom supporting surface to supporting surface. If desired, the rearportion of the cabinet may be screened from the front portion, so thatthe entrance door 19 will not be within view of the front of thecabinet. To all purposes, it will appear as a completely automaticmachine, and in effect, have the advantages of a completely automaticmachine, even though the developing and finishing operation is carriedout manually.

While applicants show one arrangement of the structural featuresconstituting the cabinet, it should be understood that any analogouslayout having similar purposes, is deemed within the purview of theinvention.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A photographic cabinet of the character described comprising arecording compartment for accommodating a person to be photographed, aworkshop compartment wherein photographing apparatus is located, a filmstrip receptacle within the workshop compartment, said photographingapparatus being operative responsive to coin actuated means tophotograph a person positioned in the recording compartment, saidreceptacle be ing positioned to receive a strip of film ejected from theapparatus at the conclusion of a photographing operation, an entrance tothe workshop' compartment whereby an operator may enter therein, unseenby the person being photographed, to develop and finish the film, thereceptacle being so positioned that upon the entrance of the operatorwithin the workshop compartment film within the receptacle will not beexposed to entering light.

2. A photographic cabinet of the character described comprising arecording compartment for accommodating a person to be photographed, aworkshop compartment wherein photographing apparatus is located, a filmstrip receptacle within the workshop compartment, said receptacle beingpositioned to receive a strip of film from the apparatus at theconclusion of a photographing operation, an entrance to the workshopcompartment whereby an operator may enter therein, unseen by the personbeing photographed, to develop and finish the film, the receptacle beingso positioned that upon the entrance of the operator within the workshopcompartment, film within the receptacle will not be exposed to enteringlight.

JOSEPH MEYER. CHARLES FLEISCHER.

